Reading Toxic Work Cultures Before You Say Yes with OD and Culture Expert Ryan McCrea
Tue Jan 20 2026
Episode Overview
In the last episode of Agile Unemployment, we focused on what happens after toxic work—and why recovery and restoring agency are essential before returning to a new role.
This conversation shifts the lens to prevention.
Sabina Sulat is joined by organizational development and workplace culture expert Ryan McCrea to explore how toxic work cultures reveal themselves before you accept a job—and why so many candidates miss the signs.
Rather than focusing on obvious “bad boss” stereotypes, this episode looks at culture as a system: how power operates, how accountability is handled, and how organizations respond to questions, boundaries, and uncertainty during the hiring process.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Ryan and Sabina unpack why toxic cultures are rarely visible in polished interviews—and how they show up instead through patterns, language, and reactions.
They discuss how candidates can read between the lines when:
answers feel vague or overly rehearsed
questions about feedback, turnover, or decision-making are met with defensiveness
different interviewers tell subtly different stories
“fast-paced,” “family,” or “high-performance” language masks pressure and control
You’ll also hear how to assess culture without putting yourself at risk, why your discomfort during interviews is meaningful data, and how to evaluate opportunities from a place of clarity rather than urgency—especially after toxic work or unemployment.
Why This Conversation Matters
One of the lasting effects of toxic work is loss of agency—the ability to trust your judgment, advocate for yourself, and say no when something doesn’t feel right.
Without intentional discernment, people often accept roles too quickly, explain away early warning signs, and unknowingly repeat the same patterns they worked hard to escape.
This episode helps listeners slow down, sharpen their cultural radar, and protect their agency before saying yes.
Toxic work cultures don’t usually announce themselves.
They reveal themselves in how questions are handled, how power is exercised, and how much truth a system can tolerate.
Learning to recognize those signals before you accept a job is one of the most important career skills you can build.
More
Episode Overview In the last episode of Agile Unemployment, we focused on what happens after toxic work—and why recovery and restoring agency are essential before returning to a new role. This conversation shifts the lens to prevention. Sabina Sulat is joined by organizational development and workplace culture expert Ryan McCrea to explore how toxic work cultures reveal themselves before you accept a job—and why so many candidates miss the signs. Rather than focusing on obvious “bad boss” stereotypes, this episode looks at culture as a system: how power operates, how accountability is handled, and how organizations respond to questions, boundaries, and uncertainty during the hiring process. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Ryan and Sabina unpack why toxic cultures are rarely visible in polished interviews—and how they show up instead through patterns, language, and reactions. They discuss how candidates can read between the lines when: answers feel vague or overly rehearsed questions about feedback, turnover, or decision-making are met with defensiveness different interviewers tell subtly different stories “fast-paced,” “family,” or “high-performance” language masks pressure and control You’ll also hear how to assess culture without putting yourself at risk, why your discomfort during interviews is meaningful data, and how to evaluate opportunities from a place of clarity rather than urgency—especially after toxic work or unemployment. Why This Conversation Matters One of the lasting effects of toxic work is loss of agency—the ability to trust your judgment, advocate for yourself, and say no when something doesn’t feel right. Without intentional discernment, people often accept roles too quickly, explain away early warning signs, and unknowingly repeat the same patterns they worked hard to escape. This episode helps listeners slow down, sharpen their cultural radar, and protect their agency before saying yes. Toxic work cultures don’t usually announce themselves. They reveal themselves in how questions are handled, how power is exercised, and how much truth a system can tolerate. Learning to recognize those signals before you accept a job is one of the most important career skills you can build.